[Cabs] Urgent action needed on H.R. 734; Silent Car Legislation

[Chris Foster]

Dear Federation Colleagues,
I am writing to ask you to call your members of Congress in the House to
ask them to cosponsor H.r. 734; the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of
2009.  In short, this legislation calls upon the secretary of
transportation to study how best to ensure that blind and other
pedestrians receive the same amount of useful feedback from quiet cars
as they currently do from combustion engines.  I'll be glad to furnish
more information on HR 734 if you need it.  
Earlier this week,  Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations Act.
Included in that legislation was funds for the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) to study the problem addressed by H.R. 734
and report to Congress.  If Congress feels it is important enough to
appropriate funds for this study, Congress should also direct NHTSA on
how the study should be carried out.  I encourage you all to call your
member of the House of Representatives and urge them to cosponsor H.R.
734 which would do just that.  Democrats will want to contact
Congressman Towns's office, while Republicans will want to contact
Congressman Stearns's office.  The contact in Congressman Towns's office
is Emily Khoury, and James Thomas is the contact for Congressman
Stearns's office.  The number to the Capitol switchboard is (202)
225-3121.  You can call this number and ask for your Congressman's
office.  If you aren't sure who your Congressman is, please call your
local county clerk and/ or recorder's office and they'll be glad to help
you.  Please do not call our U.S. Senators at this time as we do not
have a bill in the Senate.  Lastly, we have no cosponsors on H.r. 734
from Colorado at this time.  Please impress upon the people that you
speak with that it would be great if the Congressman or Congresswoman
would be the first cosponsor from Colorado.  Please let me know if I can
be of assistance in getting those phone calls made.
 
Thank you all for all your help!
 
 
Chris Foster 
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado 
Director of Community Relations 
Phone: 303-635-6583 
Email: cfoster at nfbco.org 
Web Site: www.nfbco.o <http://www.nfbco.org/> rg